Lighting fixture globe holder



LIGHTING FIXTURE GLOBE HOLDER Aug., 4EL E931, E. T, SAMUELSQN plgl LIGHTING FIXTURE GLOBE HOLDER Filed July 5l, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 h ences in expansion and contraction of the Patented Aug. 11, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ERIC 'l'. SAMUELSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BEARDSLEE'GHANDELIER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION F DELA- WARE LIGHTING FIXTURE GLOBE HOLDER Application led July 31,

My invention relates to means whereby the globe of a lighting fixture is heldin place without resort to the usual fastening means or set-screws as at present employed; the invention being especially adapted for holding and locking the glassware or globe of a lighting fixture whereby uniform and simultaneous holding relation with the globe or shade is easily and quickly effected without subjecting the glassware or shade to undue pressure; that is to say, my invention relates to means wherebythe glassware will be firmly held in place while at the same time providing compensation for the differglassware and the metallic portions of the fixture and holding means.

The objects and advantages of my invention will be readily comprehended from the m detailed description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved holder shown in glass or shade holding or locking position; a portion of the glassware or shade being shown.

Figure 2 isra transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Figure 1, as viewed by the arrows.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the holder means in unlocked or glassware or shade releasing position; a portion of the glassware being shown.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, as viewed by the arrows. l

Figure 5 is a partial velevation and cross sectional view showing my improved holding means applied to a lighting fixture j canopy or shell with a portion of the glassware broken away and shown in section.

My invention7 as exemplified in the drawings, is especially -intended for holding the glassware or globe of a lighting fixture and comprises a suitable supporting disc orplate 10 of shape corresponding to the interior shape of the shell or canopy in connection with which it is to be used; the supporting plate 10 in the illustrations being circular in ordner to permit it to be inserted into al 1930. serial No. 471,991.

canopy or shell circular in cross-section as shown at 11 in Figure 5.

The plate 1() at pointssuitably spaced apart circumferentially thereabout is provided with slots or openings 12 adapted to receive the holding members or prongs 13; the slots or openings and holding members being in number in keeping with the size of glassware or shade to be supported in place so as to properly hold the same in proper relation with the metal portion of the fixture.

The holding members 13 each consists of a horizontally disposed arm or vportion 14 adapted to extend substantially parallel with the upper face of the supporting plate 10 and at the outer end provided with `a downwardly disposed and outwardly curved prong or portion 15 which latter is disposed through the slot 12 of the supporting plate so as to depend therebeneath.

The holding members at the juncture between the horizontally disposed arms 14 and the depending prongs or portions 15 are preferably formed at opposite sides to provide slots or notches as more clearly shown at 16 in Figure 4 for the purpose of receiving the portion of the supporting plate ad jacent to the slots or openings 12 and thus ensure the maintaining of proper relation between the holding means and the supporting plate. The depending portions 15 of the holding means are so fashioned that the lower ends therefor will conform more or less with the usual curvature at the neck or opening in the shade or glassware and when the device is in glass-holding position will be located in a circumferential plane of diameter greater than the circumference of the open neck or portion 17 of the glassware or globe of which only the upper portion is shown at 18 so that the ends of the prong portions 15 will engage beneath the main top surface of the glassware as shown.

The inner ends of the horizontally disposed arms or portions 14 of the holding members are each pivotally secured at 19 to a ring or rotatably mounted member 20 located centrally on the upper side of the supporting disc or plate 10.

In the particular exemplifieation of the invention, the supporting member or plate 10 is shown provided with a central upstanding hub portion 21 about which the member 2O is adapted to rotate; that is to say, the hub portion 21 of the supporting plate 10 provides the axis of rotation for member 20.

The upstanding hub portion 21 of the supporting plate 10 may also constitute the mounting portion for a suitable electric bulb receiving socket member 22 which may be secured in place by suitable screws as at 23 in Figure 5.

The outer perimeter of the supporting plate or disc 10 is preferably provided with an upstanding annular fiange as at 24, a segmental portion whereof is cut away as at 25 in Figures 1 and 3 for the passage of a lever 26 whose inner end is secured at 27 to the rotatably mounted member or ring 20.

Vhere my improved holding means is intended to be used in connection with a canopy or shell 11, provided with the usual depending flange 28, as in Figure 5, the sup porting plate 10 is intended to be inserted into the depending flange portion 2S of the shell 11 and to be secured in place in any suitable manner, as for example by the screws 29, see Figure 5.

The shell 11 is provided with a suitable slot 30, see Figure 5, to permit the free end of the lever 26 to extend therethrough; the slot 30 at one end being preferably provided with a slight off-set portion into which the end of the lever will pass when the holding means has been moved into glassware or globe holding position; the off-set portion in the slot of the shell or canopy being adapted to hold the lever 26 against accidental movement.

rI'he main portion of the slot 30 in the shell or canopy is preferably arranged to be in a horizontal plane slightly beneath the normal plane of the attached end of lever 2G, thus causing the lever to automatically seat itself in the upwardly offset end of slot 50.

As is apparent from the construction shown, the glassware or globe 18 can be quickly put into place by moving lever 26 toneneend'vofethe islet,Y namely toward the end opposite to that provided with the offset, viz, as shown in Figure 3 whereby member 20 will be rotated in a direction which causes the holding elements 13 to be drawn toward the inner ends of the slots 12 in the supporting plate 10 and therefore causing the outwardly curved lower ends of the prong portions 15 to be moved into a smaller circumferential surface concentric with and located within the circumferential opening or neck portion of the glassware or globelS.

The prong portions 15 are preferably of length sufficient to permit the lower outwardly curved ends thereof to engage beneath the upper portion of the glassware or globe adjacent to the neck or opening therein, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 5, so as to support the glassware in place without undue pressure on the inner sides of the neck of the glassware and thus compensate for differences in expansion and contraction of the metal and glassware. By moving the glassware or globe 18 with its opening beneath the supporting plate 10 and with the prongs 15 disposed into the opening of the glassware or globe, the globe may be then fastened in place by merely moving or shifting lever 2G to the opposite off-set end of the slot which movement of the lever causes rotation of member 2O in a direction which will cause the pivot points 19 of the holding members to be brought into closer proximity to the inner ends of the slots 1Q thereby causing the holding elements 13 to be moved toward the outer ends of the slots 12 where the free ends of the prong portions 15 will be disposed into the maximum circumferential surface, namely a circunr ferential surface beyond or greater than the circumferential surface or circle defined by the neck or opening in the glassware or globe 18.

It is evident that my holding means may be adapted to glassware or globe of any size by simply increasing the size of the holdingr elements or their radial movements.

With my improved means the glassware of a lighting fixture may be quickly fastened in place, or released, through the manipulation of a single member instead of the manipulation of a. number of set-screws as heretofore generally employed; while at the same time the diiiiculties, encountered through the cracking and breaking of the glassware because of too tight screwing of the set-screws, are entirely eliminated and a morev uniform holding relation with the glassware is effected. Y

The construction illustrated'is believed to be the simplest embodiment of the invention which has been described in terms employed merely as terms of description and not as terms of limitation, as modii'icationsmay be de without, however departing fromthe spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A lightingl fixture globe holder comprising a stationary supporting plate provided with transversely arranged slots; globe engaging members disposed through. said slots and adapted to move lengthwise of the slots; and a ring rotatably mounted on said plate withthe upper ends of said members pivotally secured thereto intermediate of the axis of the ringand the inner ends of said slots whereby the members are caused to move toward the outer ends of the slots when said ring is rotated in one direction and toward the inner ends of the slots when said means is rotated in the opposite direction.

2. In a lighting Fixture, a shell having a slot in the side wall; a plate adapted to lit into said shell and having a plurality ot transversely disposed slots, said plate being provided with a. central hub portion; a plurality of members having vertically arranged portions disposed through the slots in the plate, the free ends of said portions being adapted to engage with the globe of the fixture; a member rotatable about the hub portion of the plate and having the inner ends of said plurality of members pivotally connected thereto; and a lever secured to said last mentioned member and disposed through the slot in the shell whereby said member may be rotated and locked in place with the plurality of members in globe holding position.

3. A globe holder oi" the character described comprising a stationary plate provided with radially disposed slots; means rotatably mounted on said plate; and a plurality of vertically disposed members, the upper ends whereof extend through said slots and terminate in horizontal portions disposed above said plate with the ends of the horizontal portions pivotally connected to said means while the free ends of said members are adapted to engage within the globe, whereby rotation of said means relative to the plate will cause said members to move substantially in radial directions.

4. A globe holder of' the character described Comprising a stationary supporting plate provided with radially disposed slots; shade engaging members having vertical portions disposed through said slots and horizontal portions disposed inwardly above said plate; a ring rotatably mounted on said plate with the horizontal portions of said members pivotally secured thereto; and a lever connected at one end to said ring whereby the latter may be rotated.

5. In a lighting lixture, a shell provided with a circumferentially disposed slot in the side wall thereof having an oit-set end; a plate adapted to t within and be ixedly secured to said shell and provided with radially disposed slots; globe-engaging mem-bers slidably mounted in said slots; and a ring rotatably mounted on said plate with the upper ends of said members pivotally connected therewith, whereby movement of the members longitudinally of the slots in the plate is induced when said ring is rotated, the ring having a yieldable ngerengaging portion normally disposed in a plane above and extending through the slot in the shell and adapted to spring into the olf-set end of the slot to lock the ring with the members in globe-holding position.

6. A lighting fixture shade or globe holder comprising a shell; a plate ixedly secured to the shell and provided with transversely extending slots; globe-engaging fingers each consisting of a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, the vertical portion being disposed through said slots in the plate and having notches in opposite side edges to receive the edges of the plate at the slots to guide the members during movement lengthwise of said slots, the horizontal portions being disposed radially above the plate; and a member rotatably mounted above said plate with the ends of the horizontal portions of the fingers pivotally connected therewith, whereby relative rotative movement between said plate and said member will cause the globe-engaging fingers to move lengthwise of said slots.

ERIC T. SAMUELSON.

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